The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has disbursed Rs 31,786 crore in Odisha during the financial year 2021-22, registering a growth of 40 per cent over the preceding financial year 2020-21.
During the year 2021-22, the NABARD sanctioned fresh RIDF assistance of Rs 4,013 crore for construction of 243 new rural roads, 263 bridges, one medium irrigation project, 9,836 minor irrigation projects, six flood protection and nine rural drinking water projects in the state, NABARD chairman-cum general manager C. Udayabhaskar said in a statement on Friday.
The RIDF sanction in the year 2021-22 was higher by 24 per cent as compared to that of 2020-21. The drinking water projects are expected to provide clean and safe drinking water to 17 lakh rural population across the state. The support under RIDF to Odisha is the highest in the country, he said.
NABARD extended grant assistance of Rs 70 crore to support various promotional initiatives during the fiscal 2021-22.
Further, the bank is implementing 69 tribal development projects supporting horticulture-based livelihoods in 46,000 acres benefitting more than 50,000 tribal families in 24 districts of Odisha, at present.
During the financial year 2021-22, six new WADI projects and five new watershed projects were sanctioned involving a commitment of Rs 53.88 crore, he said.
So far, NABARD has promoted 325 FPOs, which are benefitting about 1.30 lakh farmers. In order to give a fillip to the movement of FPOs in the state, the NABARD conducted a month long campaign called FPO Abhiyan.
Grant support of Rs 34.14 crore was provided to banks from the financial inclusion fund to expand the banking touch points in rural areas and for creating awareness on financial inclusion.
With a view to enhancing the credit flow to agriculture and other rural sectors, it has projected a potential of Rs 1,34,665 crore for priority sector lending by banks in the current financial year 2022-23, including Rs 52,050 crore under agriculture.